Piano loader



R. .|.BOWEN.

PIANO LOADER.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 13. 1920.

Patented 0013.10, 1922.

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R. l. BOWEN.

PIANO LOADER. APPLICATION FILED Nov. I3. 1920.

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Bi j. BOWEN.

PIANO LOADER.

APPLICATIQN' FILED Nov. 13. 1920.

Patented Oct. 10, 1922.

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@am @wwf/7M? from the description Patented Oct. l0, 1.922.

UNT Silit-t ROBERT J. BOVIEN, OF VVHSTLSALEM, lllR'TH CRLNA.

PIANO LODER.

Application filed November 13, 192D.

T0 all whom t may concern,

Be it ,known that I, ROBERT J. BOWEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Winston-Salem, in the county of Forsyth and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano Loaders, of which the following is a specification. Y i

The present invention relates to pianoloading devices of the type shown in my patent No. 1,245,560 granted Nov. 6, 1917, over which it is intendedas an improvement.

The object of the invention will appear in connection with the accompanying drawings and the points of novelty will be particularly pointed out in the claims. y

In the drawings` Fig. 1 is an elevation of a device embodyingj the invention;

v4ig. 2` is a fragmentary view thereof showing the device in loading position;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the device in loaded condition;

ig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing the principal elements constituting the invention; y

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 44, Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is anend view taken from the right of Figs. 4 or 5, a part being omitted to show certain detail.

Fig. 1 represents a Ford car to `which the invention is applied. The vehicle body 1 is provided on each side with a bearing member 2 having an elongated opening 3 i to receive slide blocks 4 which are bolted to the frame 5, preferably to the inside of the side members 5a by means of bars 6. The opening 3 terminates at its rear end in an enlarged portion 3a. The slide block 4 is substantially rectangular to hold the frame 5 inr horizontal Aposition except when the frame is in its rear-most position which is the loading and unloading position. This arrangement has the advantage that the loading frame 5 is held stationary and clear of the fenders during the loading and unloading operation.

The frame 5 is composed of side members 5, and end member 5b, a strong front member 5c and a bottom portion 5d. The bottom 5d is provided with a slot 7 for a purpose to be explained later on. The front cross member 5 carries abutments 8 havvof the body 1 and serial no. 423,901.

ing felted or padded facelets against which the piano is drawn upon the frame 5. Through the member 5c extend screwthreaded rods 9 carrying grabs 10 for lifting the piano and drawing up against the abutments S. The rods 9 are surrounded by springs 1 1 interposed between the member 5c and a flange 10 near the front end of the rods. The front end of the rods is made of angular cross-section to receive the socket of a crank for turning the rods.

Across the frame 5 extends a rod or shaft 12 to which are connected the ends of bands 13 or other similar elements and on which are pivotally mounted pawls 14 having a plurality of teeth in their lower edge.

@n the body 1 of the vehicle is revolubly supported in brackets or bearing pieces 15 strengthened by brace plates 16 a. shaft 17 which carries the rolls of band 18 and ratchet wheels 18 cfa-operating with pawls 14. The shaft 17 extends through one side carries a ratchet wheel 19 (zo-operating with a dog 20 pivoted on the body 1. The projecting end of the shaft is of angular cross-section to receive the socket of a crank. ln practice l use a single crank for the sha t l? and the rods 9. s shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 I preferably use braces 21 secured to the running board of the vehicle for holding the shaft 17 iirmly in position. The bearing pieces 15 have hold-down stops 15a.

As indicated in the drawings, the par-Ils 14 are curved. This construction has been resorted to to economize in space since the space behind the seat of the vehicle is necessarily very limited.

Before describing the operation of the device it should be noted that pianos r 1 carry a cross member known as wrest plank or pinblock, upright posts and sill, the pin block and the sill being indicated in Fig. 8 by the numerals 23 and 24 respectively.

The front member 5c has transverse slots Saito allow the lift rods 9 to be shifted in order to avoid the posts just mentioned.

The operation is as follows:

F or loading of a piano, the shaft 17 is turned to unwind the band 13 and push the frame 5 back by means of the ratchet wheels 18 and ratchet pawls 14. l/Vhen the slide block 4 reaches the enlargement 3a of the opening 3, the frame 5 is tilted to the vertical position as shown in Fig. 2. The piano CII is moved up against the frame 5 and the rods 9 are lowered until the grabs engage the lower surface of the pin blocks 23. rlhe rods 9 are then turned either sin'iultaneously or alternately until the piano firmly contacts with the padded abutments 8.

The function of the springs l1 is to prevent play between one or the other of the grabs and the pin bloclr 23 and maintain contact therebetween during the lifting operation.

After the piano has reached its final position upon frame 5, hoolr bolt is passed through the slot 7 in the bottom or back of the frame 5 and turned so that 'the hook portion engages the inner surface of the sill 24. The nut at the outer end of the hook bolt is screwed inwardly to tighten the bolt to securely fasten the piano to the lower part of the frame 5.

The shaft 17 is then turned to wind up the band 13 whereby the frame is tilted to horizontal position and then slid along the body l until it reaches its final position under the hold-down stops 151. rl`he pawl 2O then locks the shaft against backward movement.

The unloading operation takes place in reverse order.

lt is understood that for the ratchet 18 and pawl lt other equivalent elements may be substituted although the arrangement proposed is of special utility and is preferred.

l: claim:

l. ln a piano-loader7 the combination with a vehicle and a loading frame, ot' means for pivotally supporting the frame upon the vehicle in one position and for allowing the frame to be moved forth and back upon the vehicle when the frame is in a substantially horizontal position, said means comprising a guide element on the vehicle having an elongated opening terminating` at its rear end in an enlarged portion and an angular bearing piece on the frame having a sliding lit in the elongated opening and affording pivotal movement in the enlarged portion.

2. ln a piano-loader7 the combination with a vehicle and a loading frame, of means for pivotally supporting the frame upon the vehicle in one position and for allowing the frame to be moved forth and back upon the vehicle when the frame is in a substantially horizontal position and mechanism for moving the frame forwardly and rearwardly respectively, said mechanism including a revoluble shaft on the body of the vehicle, a band secured to the frame and to the shaft for pulling the frame in forward direction and a ratchet wheel on the shaft co-operat ing with a pawl on the frame for pushing the frame in opposite direction.

3. ln a piano-loader, the combination with a vehicle and a loading frame, of means for moving the frame rearwardly upon the vehicle, said means including a shaft on the body of the vehicle carrying a ratchet wheel and a curved pawl on the frame having ratchet teeth in its convex edge for co-op eration with the ratchet wheel to move the frame in rearward direction.

4. ln a piano-loader, the combination with a loading frame, of lifting screws extending through the front end of the frame and carrying at their rear ends grabs for engaging the usual pin block and spring means interposed between the forward projecting end of the screws and the frame.

5. In a piano-loader, the combination with a loading frame, of lifting screws extending through the front end of the frame and carrying at their rear ends grabs for engaging the usual pin block and spring means interposed between the forward projecting end of the screws and the frame, the frame having transverse slots for allowing lateral shifting of the screws.

6. In a piano-loader, the combination with a loading frame, of abutments on the for ward end of the frame and lifting screws extending through the forward end of the frame and having grabs for engaging the usual pin block for drawing the piano against the abutment.

7. ln a piano-loader, the combination with a vehicle, a loading frame and means for moving the frame forwardly and rearwardly upon the body of the vehicle including a shaft revolubly mounted upon the body of the vehicle, of braces secured to the running board of the vehicle for holding the shaft against movement.

ln testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

ROBERT J. BOWEN. 

